Paul the Peddler

H >> Horatio Alger, Jr. >> Paul the Peddler


"I will go," she said.

Paul, who was sitting next to the door, opened it suddenly, with
unexpected effort, for the landlady, whose ear was fast to the keyhole,
staggered into the room involuntarily.

"So you were listening, ma'am, were you?" demanded Mrs. Montgomery,
scornfully.

"Yes, I was," said the landlady, rather red in the face.

"You were in good business."

"It's a better business than stealing diamond rings," retorted the
landlady, recovering herself. "I've long suspected there was something
wrong about you and your husband, ma'am, and now I know it. I don't want
no thieves nor jail birds in my house, and the sooner you pay your bill
and leave, the better I'll like it."

"I'll leave as soon as you like, but I can't pay your bill."

"I dare say," retorted the landlady. "You're a nice character to cheat
an honest woman out of four weeks' board."



"Well, Paul, what news?" asked Barry.

"I am ready to buy your stand," said Paul.

"Can you pay me all the money down?"

"On the spot."

"Then it is all settled," said Barry, with satisfaction. "I am glad of
it, for now I shall be able to go on to Philadelphia to-morrow."

Paul drew a roll of bills from his pocket, and proceeded to count
out thirty-five dollars. Barry noticed with surprise that he had a
considerable amount left.

"You are getting rich, Paul," he said.

"I am not rich yet," answered Paul, "but I mean to be some time if I can
accomplish it by industry and attention to business."

"You'll be sure to succeed," said George Barry. "You're just the right
sort. Good-by, old fellow. When you come on to Philadelphia come and see
me."

"I may establish a branch stand in Philadelphia before long," said Paul,
jocosely.



CHAPTER XXVI

CONCLUSION

When Paul was left in charge of the stand, and realized that it was his
own, he felt a degree of satisfaction which can be imagined. He had been
a newsboy, a baggage-smasher, and in fact had pretty much gone the round
of the street trades, but now he felt that he had advanced one step
higher. Some of my readers may not appreciate the difference, but to
Paul it was a great one. He was not a merchant prince, to be sure,
but he had a fixed place of business, and with his experience he felt
confident he could make it pay.

"I am sure I can make from ten to fifteen dollars a week," he said to
himself. "I averaged over a dollar a day when I worked for George Barry,
and then I only got half-profits. Now I shall have the whole."

This consideration was a very agreeable one. He would be able to
maintain his mother and little Jimmy in greater comfort than before, and
this he cared more for than for any extra indulgences for himself.
In fact, he could relieve his mother entirely from the necessity of
working, and yet live better than at present. When Paul thought of this,
it gave him a thrill of satisfaction, and made him feel almost like a
man.

He set to work soliciting custom, and soon had sold three neckties at
twenty-five cents each.

"All that money is mine," he thought, proudly. "I haven't got to hand
any of it over to George Barry. That's a comfort."

As this thought occurred to him he recognized an old acquaintance
strolling along the sidewalk in his direction. It was no other than Jim
Parker, the friend and crony of Mike Donovan, who will be remembered as
figuring in not a very creditable way in the earlier chapters of this
story. It so happened that he and Paul had not met for some time, and
Jim was quite ignorant of Paul's rise in life.

As for Jim himself, no great change had taken place in his appearance or
prospects. His suit was rather more ragged and dirty than when we first
made his acquaintance, having been worn night and day in the streets, by
night stretched out in some dirty alley or out-of-the-way corner,
where Jim found cheap lodgings. He strolled along with his hands in his
pockets, not much concerned at the deficiencies in his costume.

"Hallo!" said he, stopping opposite Paul's stand. "What are you up to?"

"You can see for yourself," answered Paul. "I am selling neckties."

"How long you've been at it?"

"Just begun."

"Who's your boss?"

"I haven't any."

"You ain't runnin' the stand yourself, be you?" asked Jim, in surprise.

"Yes."

"Where'd you borrow the stamps?"

"Of my mother," said Paul. "Can't I sell you a necktie this morning?"

"Not much," said Jim, laughing at the joke. "I've got my trunks stuffed
full of 'em at home, but I don't wear 'em only Sundays. Do you make much
money?"

"I expect to do pretty well."

"What made you give up sellin' prize packages?" asked Jim slyly.


"Customers like you," answered Paul.

Jim laughed.

"You didn't catch me that time you lost your basket," he said.

"That was a mean trick," said Paul, indignantly.

"You don't want to hire me to sell for you, do you?"

"That's where you're right. I don't."

"I'd like to go into the business."

"You'd better open a second-hand clothing store," suggested Paul,
glancing at his companion's ragged attire.

"Maybe I will," said Jim with a grin, "if you'll buy of me."

"I don't like the style," said Paul. "Who's your tailor?"

"He lives round in Chatham street. Say, can't you lend a fellow a couple
of shillin' to buy some breakfast?"

"Have you done any work to-day?"

"No."

"Then you can't expect to eat if you don't work."

"I didn't have no money to start with."

"Suppose you had a quarter, what would you do?"

"I'd buy a ten-cent plate of meat, and buy some evenin' papers with the
rest."

"If you'll do that, I'll give you what you ask for."

"You'll give me two shillin'?" repeated Jim, incredulously, for he
remembered how he had wronged Paul.

"Yes," said Paul. "Here's the money;" and he drew a twenty-five-cent
piece from his vest pocket, and handed it to Jim.

"You give me that after the mean trick I played you?" said Jim.

"Yes; I am sorry for you and want to help you along."

"You're a brick!" exclaimed Jim, emphatically. "If any feller tries to
play a trick on you, you just tell me, and I'll lam him."

"All right, Jim!" said Paul, kindly; "I'll remember it."

"There ain't anybody you want licked, is there?" asked Jim, earnestly.

"Not at present, thank you," said Paul, smiling.

"When you do, I'm on hand," said Jim. "Now I'll go and get some grub."

He shuffled along toward Ann street, where there was a cheap
eating-house, in which ten cents would pay for a plate of meat. He was
decidedly hungry, and did justice to the restaurant, whose style of
cookery, though not very choice, suited him so well that he could
readily have eaten three plates of meat instead of one, but for the
prudent thought that compelled him to reserve enough to embark in
business afterwards. Jim was certainly a hard ticket; but Paul's
unexpected kindness had won him, and produced a more profound impression
than a dozen floggings could have done. I may add that Jim proved luck
in his business investment, and by the close of the afternoon had enough
money to provide himself with supper and lodging, besides a small fund
to start with the next day.

Paul sold three more neckties, and then, though it yet lacked an hour of
the time when he generally proposed to close, he prepared to go home. He
wanted to communicate the good news to his mother and little Jimmy.

Mrs. Hoffman raised her eyes from her sewing as he entered.

"Well, Paul," she said, "have you heard anything of the ring?"

"Yes, mother, it's sold."

"Is it? Well, we must do without it, then," said his mother in a tone of
disappointment.

"There won't be any trouble about that, mother, as long as we have got
the money for it. I would rather have that than the ring."

"Did you recover it, then?" asked his mother, eagerly.

"Yes, mother--listen and I will tell you all about it."

He sat down and told the story to two very attentive listeners.

"What did you do with the money, Paul?" asked Jimmy.

"Mr. Preston is keeping a hundred and fifty dollars for me. He will
allow seven per cent. interest. But I must not forget that the money
belongs to you, mother, and not to me. Perhaps you would prefer to
deposit it in a savings bank."

"I am quite satisfied with your disposal of it, Paul," said Mrs.
Hoffman. "I little thought, when I found the ring, that it would be of
such service to us."

"It has set me up in business," said Paul, "and I am sure to make
money. But I am getting out of stock. I must go round and buy some more
neckties to-morrow."

"How much do you pay for your ties, Paul?" asked his mother.

"One shilling; I sell them for two. That gives me a good profit."

"I wonder whether I couldn't make them?" said Mrs. Hoffman. "I find
there is no sewing at present to be got, and, besides," she added, "I
think I would rather work for you than for a stranger."

"There is no need of your working, mother. I can earn enough to support
the family."

"While I have health I would prefer to work, Paul."

"Then I will bring round some of the ties to-morrow. I have two or three
kinds. There is nothing very hard about any of them. I think they would
be easy to make."

"That will suit me much better than making shirts."

"Suppose I admit you to the firm, mother? I can get a large signboard,
and have painted on it:

PAUL HOFFMAN AND MOTHER,
DEALERS IN NECKTIES.

How would that sound?"

"I think I would leave the business part in your hands, Paul."

"I begin to feel like a wholesale merchant already," said Paul. "Who
knows but I may be one some day?"

"Many successful men have begun as low down," said his mother; "with
energy and industry much may be accomplished."

"Do you think I'll ever be a wholesale painter?" asked Jimmy, whose
small ears had drank in the conversation.

"Better try for it, Jimmy," said Paul. "I don't know exactly what a
wholesale painter is, unless it's one who paints houses."

"I shouldn't like that," said the little boy.

"Then, Jimmy, you'd better be a retail painter."

"I guess I will," said Jimmy, seriously.

Note: Thus far we have accompanied Paul Hoffman in his
career. He is considerably better off than when we met him
peddling prize packages in front of the post office. But we
have reason to believe that greater success awaits him. He
will figure in the next two volumes of this series, more
particularly in the second, to be called "Slow and Sure; or,
From the Sidewalk to the Shop." Before this appears,
however, I propose to describe the adventures of a friend
and protegee of Paul's--under the title of PHIL THE FIDDLER;
OR, THE YOUNG STREET MUSICIAN.